Method and apparatus for eliminating static charges in pile fabric

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a method of manufacturing a static-free pile fabric such as a soft floor covering by means of introducing an electrical conductor into the pile of the fabric just prior to the tufting or weaving thereof instead of introducing the conductor into the yarn at some earlier stage.

United States Patent Broadrick et al.

[ Jan. 21, 1975 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING STATIC CHARGES IN PILE FABRIC [75] Inventors: Ed B. Broadrick, Glasgow; Ralph T.

Reid, Lexington, both of Va.

[73] Assignee: Burlington Industries, Inc.,

Greensboro, NC.

[22] Filed: May 7, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 357,580

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 49,460, June 24, 1970,

abandoned.

[52] U.S. Cl 139/391, 139/102, 139/403,

[51] Int. Cl.. D03d 27/00, D05c 15/34, D050 17/02 [58] Field of Search 139/391, 403, 425 R, 25,

139/39, 102; 57/139, 157 AS; 317/2; 112/410, 79 R, 79 A, 79 FF, 266; 28/72 P [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,302,003 1l/l942 Cadwell et al. 317/2 2,508,852 5/1950 Blumfield 139/391 X 2,754,856 7/1956 Hoeselbarth.... 139/403 2,764,185 9/1956 Mostertz 139/391 3,020,863 2/1962 Smith 112/410 X 3,091,199 5/1963 Ballardw 112/79 3,288,175 ll/l966 Valko 139/425 3,298,342 l/1967 Smiley et al. 112/410 3,371,247 2/1968 Mullenger 317/2 3,422,460 l/l969 Burke et a1. 139/425 X 3,472,289 10/1969 Webber et al. 139/425 3,582,445 6/1971 Okuhashi 139/425 X 3,582,444 6/1971 NgO et al. 139/391 X OTHER PUBLICATIONS Primary ExaminerJames Kee Chi Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cushman, Darby & Cushman [57] ABSTRACT The present invention is directed to a method of manufacturing a static-free pile fabric such as a soft floor covering by means of introducing an electrical conductor into the pile of the fabric just prior to the tufting or weaving thereof instead of introducing the conductor into the yarn at some earlier stage,

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIENIED i975 3,861,429 sum 10; 3

mvcu'rons: B. BROADRICK LPH T. REID av ATTY.

PATENTED 3, 861 ,429

SHEEI 30F 3 INVENTORS: ED B. BROADRICK RALPH T. REID Wham AT Y.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING STATIC CHARGES IN PILE FABRIC This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 49,460 filed June 24, 1970, now abandoned.

In view of the fact that much synthetic material is being used in the pile of floor coverings and wall coverings, considerable effort has recently been devoted to the elimination of static electricity or charges from floor covering fabric. This does not mean that carpets of fibers other than synthetic do not have static problems, and it will be understood that the present invention is equally applicable to the introduction of a static eliminator regardless of the type of pile fiber. In some cases, such a static charge may present a safety hazard but for the most part, it is one of personal annoyance and discomfort.

It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide a creel for supporting spools of stainless steel wire or other forms of filamentary conductor directly above the crankshaft housing of a multi-needle tufting machine. Controlled feed of the wire is provided directly to the stationary yarn guide on the housing and from thence through the jerker bar to the needles of the tufting machine without being in any way incorporated or carried by the pile yarn itself.

The invention can also be applied to a loom for weaving pile fabric in which event the metal wire is introduced to the shed directly through a heddle frame without the necessity for incorporating the wire into the yarn in any way prior to the actual weaving.

Referring now to the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of the upper portion of a multineedle tufting machine on which a creel con structed in accordance with the present invention has been mounted for feeding metal wires directly to the tufting needles.

FIG. 2 is a section as seen at 2, 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is enlarged detail of one of the tufting needles of the tufting machine showing the wire being fed through the eye of the needle in an untwisted condition with respect to the yarn, and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the creel of FIG. I mounted for use in conjunction with a velvet loom.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a conventional tufting machine as may be seen in Ledford et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,340 is provided with a crank housing 5 which encloses and journals a crankshaft 6. Housing 5 is supported on a foundation structure 7 by means of flanges 8, 8. Only one of the flanges 8 is shown in the prsent drawing, but it will be understood that the opposite end of housing 5 is similar. The tufting machine is provided with a vertically reciprocating needlebar 9 journaled in needlebar bushings 11 connected to a plurality of cranks 12 through crank rods 13. The tufting machine is also provided with the conventional throat l4, and presser foot 15 suspended by bracket 16. The jerker bar 17 is mounted on needlebar 9 and stationary yarn guide 18 is mounted on housing 5. The pile yarns 20 are carried from a suitable source (not shown) through an upper yarn guide over feed rollers 22, 23 and lower feed rollers 24, 25. From thence the yarn travels through the yarn guide 18, jerker bar 17 and through the eyes of the needles 27, 27 mounted in needlebar 9. The backing fabric 30 is supplied from a source (not shown) and passes over the front pin feed roll 31, across the throat l4 and over the back pin roll 32 to a suitable takeup device (not shown).

A series of looper holders 33 is mounted on an oscillating looper shaft 34 and each looper holder 33 contains a non-cutting looper 35. In accordance with conventional practice, the yarn which is inserted through the backing fabric 30 by needles 27 is picked up by the loopers 35 and retained during the upward travel of the needles and needlebar to provide a series of loops L, L on the underside of the backing fabric 30 as it traverses the throat of the tufting machine.

The above description refers to a conventional tufting machine and forms no part of the present invention since it is the normal manner in which such machines operate to provide 500 to 600 stitches per minute in the backing fabric.

Directing attention more particularly to the present invention, a creel board 50 is mounted on the crank case housing 5 by means of brackets or standards 5] and 52. Creel board 50 is provided with a series of posts or spindles 53, 53 arranged in both horizontal and vertical rows as seen in FIG. 2. The center lines of the horizontal spindle rows are substantially equally distant from each other and equally spaced whereas the center lines of the vertical rows as seen in FIG. 2 are offset slightly to provide free travel for unwinding wire. Spools 54, 54 containing a metal wire W such as stainless steel or any other suitable static eliminator of a filamentary type are mounted on the spindles 53 and the static eliminating filaments are carried downwardly between pin guides 56, 56. As shown in FIG. 2, there are seven spools 54 in each vertical row and we prefer to run the ends 20 of the pile yarn alternately between the ends of metal wire as shown in FIG. 2 so that one end of synthetic yarn and one end of metal run through the eye of each needle 27 as shown in FIG. 3. The arrangement of the metal wires and their positions as they feed through the fixed yarn guide 21 are shown clearly in FIG. 2 with regard to seven sets of the wire. In order to provide proper tension and to prevent slack in the wires, we provide a yarn tensioning element 57 between the pin guides 56, 56 and the fixed guide 21.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a creel board 50a similar to that shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on any convenient place adjacent a loom so that the metal wire W feeds over the tensioner 57a through yarn guide 60, under roller 61, and through the eyes of heddle frame 62. From thence it is carried through the reed 63 and into the shed of the fabric 64 woven in a conventional loom except as modified above. Such a loom is provided with a lay 65, a plurality of vertically reciprocating heddle frames 66, 66 all of which can be seen in such patents as Smiley U.S. Pat. No. 2,988,113 and Batty et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,795. The lay beats up the pile yarns 67 and 68 against the fell 69 of the fabric as it is woven in the conventional manner.

It will be understood that we have provided an extremely simple attachment for a pile fabric manufacturing tufting machine or loom which avoids the serious problem incident to spinning a metallic wire of indefinite length into the yarn prior to the incorporation of the yarn into the pile fabric.

Having thus described our invention,

We claim:

1. The method of making a static-free pile fabric which comprises feeding a series of electrically conductive filaments directly into a pile forming zone of a pile conductive yarns being untwisted with respect to each other as they form each of said pile projections.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the electrically conductive filaments are stainless steel wires.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the filaments are fed to the needles of a tufting machine.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the filaments are fed to the pile forming fell of a pile loom. 

1. The method of making a static-free pile fabric which comprises feeding a series of electrically conductive filaments directly into a pile forming zone of a pile fabric manufacturing machine, independently controlling the tension of the electrically conductive filaments as they are being fed to the pile forming zone, separately and simultaneously feeding a series of non-conductive yarns to said pile forming zone alternately between the electrically conductive filaments, and forming rows of pile projections at said zone with said conductive filaments and said respective non-conductive yarns in the same selected rows of pile projections, the filaments and the respective nonconductive yarns being untwisted with respect to each other as they form each of said pile projections.
 2. The method of claim 1 in which the electrically conductive filaments are stainless steel wires.
 3. The method of claim 1 in which the filaments are fed to the needles of a tufting machine.
 4. The method of claim 1 in which the filaments are fed to the pile forming fell of a pile loom. 